I grew up, a typical little girl, dreaming of finding a loving man and having beautiful children- you know, the white picket fence life. In high school, I would stay up late with my closest friend dreaming of what the future would hold. We planned that each of us would be married in our early 20’s, have kids that would also be best friends and we would live as next-door neighbors. It was going to be the perfect life.
Over the years, I dated and got to know several nice guys. Some, I dated longer than others, and through each of those relationships I learned more about who I was, and what I was (and wasn’t) looking for in my future spouse. All, except one, held a common theme- monogamy. The one relationship, that ended in betrayal, was harder than a normal break up. While he was away in basic training, I was notified that he was in a relationship with someone else, also. My stomach dropped and I re-read the message over and over. She sent me photos of them. My hands trembled as I scrolled up and down on the images. We were both claiming that special title of “girlfriend” on opposite sides of the country. It not only blindsided me, but also caused me to question my worth; was I not special enough to hold his attention alone? I cut ties with him and worked on healing my heart. Why did he feel the need to have more than one significant other and betray me? Well, years later, something I would learn to be true for most men, whether they admit it or not— they are not monogamous by nature. This was my first experience with someone, that I cared about, who chose to have the “other woman,” too.
Another dating relationship parted ways for a few different reasons; then I met him. The man I had prayed for. The man that swept me off my feet. The moment I met him, my heart knew that he was the man I longed to spend forever with. We had all of the important things in common, enjoyed spending time together and had that beautiful spark. Our time dating wasn’t without challenges but we, as a couple, soared past the challenges through prayer and lots of open communication. We had built a foundation of trust, friendship, love and respect. It wasn’t long before God brought all of the pieces together and meshed our lives as one.
We lived in different states as we dated, so when the opportunity came to marry sooner than anticipated, we were delighted. Our relationship was magnetic, and we couldn’t stand to be apart. We had a beautiful, intimate wedding. We both were overjoyed to embark on this new journey of life together, as husband and wife- promising to forsake all others.
Little did I know what would come.
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